1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to a method and system for establishing a communication link between an internet telephony device and a PSTN telephone over a network.
2. Background of the Invention
Internet telephony devices are known in the art for providing voice communication over a network, such as the internet. Internet telephony devices work by using a combination of networks that comprise a use internet connection rather than a telecommunications network provided by a local or long distance company. To use an internet telephony device, a user speaks into a personal computer (PC) equipped with a microphone, speaker, and a sound card. On the internet, the voice traffic is treated as a particular kind of data. The voice traffic, converted into bit form, is transmitted as data packets under the existing Internet protocol suites, such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), that facilitate the reliable exchange of data between computers over the Internet. Essentially, the TCP/IP protocol suites manage the assembly and reassembly of data into data packets that are transmitted and received across the Internet.
Internet telephony devices may also be used to call a PSTN telephone. To establish a communication link between an internet telephony device and a PSTN telephone it is necessary to use an internet gateway provider close to the destination PSTN telephone that can dial the destination PSTN telephone and translate the digital signals from the internet into audio signals for the PSTN telephone. An internet gateway provider is a computer system or network that typically provide communication for PSTN telephone-to-PSTN telephone (hereinafter xe2x80x9cphone-to-phonexe2x80x9d) communications over the internet, but may also be available for providing communications between an internet telephony device and a PSTN telephone (hereinafter xe2x80x9cPC-to-phonexe2x80x9d).
Internet gateway providers are typically deployed in cities around the world to provide phone-to-phone and PC-to-Phone communication. An individual gateway provider company may serve several cities or blanket a large section of the globe depending on the gateway provider. For example, MCI and Sprint are examples of gateway provider companies which serve several cities. In some cities, several gateway providers may serve a particular PSTN telephone. Some of these gateway providers are not compatible with each other.
To reach as many people as possible, it is desirable to have a PC-to-Phone communication service that is compatible (in technology and billing systems) with various gateway provider networks. It is also desirable to have a PC-to-Phone communication system which can automatically compare the costs of service for various gateway providers for providing communication between an internet telephony device and a PSTN telephone and select the destination gateway provider that offers the lowest cost for providing the PC-to-Phone call. In another aspect, it is also desirable to have a PC-to-Phone communication system which can dynamically select a destination gateway provider based on parameters, such as quality specified by a user.
The limitations in the prior art are overcome by a system and method for establishing a communication link between an internet telephony device and a PSTN telephone via a destination gateway provider which satisfies cost and/or calling parameters specified by the user. In one aspect, the present invention may select a lowest cost destination gateway provider during the user""s registration with the PC-to-Phone communication service. The present invention selects the lowest cost destination gateway provider based on a number of frequently called countries specified by the user during the registration process. In another aspect, the present invention dynamically selects a destination gateway provider during the PC-to-Phone call connection process based on parameters specified by the user. If there are no available gateway providers which satisfy the parameters specified by the user, then the user may select a ringback option which informs the user at a later time when a PC-to-Phone call satisfying the user""s specified parameters can be made.
A method for selecting during a user registration period a lowest cost destination gateway provider for establishing a connection between an internet telephony device and a PSTN telephone comprises receiving data from a user indicating a plurality of frequently called countries, accessing a gateway provider database storing data on a plurality of gateway providers that provide service to the plurality of frequently called countries, determining the lowest cost destination gateway provider for the plurality of frequently called countries, and displaying to the user information on the lowest cost destination gateway provider for the plurality of frequently called countries.
A method for dynamically selecting during a PC-to-Phone call connection process a destination gateway provider for establishing a connection between an internet telephony device and a PSTN telephone comprises receiving from a user a destination PSTN phone number, selecting a lowest cost destination gateway provider from a gateway provider database using the destination PSTN phone number; and displaying to the user information on the lowest cost destination gateway provider.